NYC Tastes

2018 is officially over and what a crazy, wild ride it was from start to finish.  The year kicked off with a bang as my Buffalo Bills finally made it to the playoffs for the first time since 1999.  I was so happy, I cried tears of joy every single day leading up to the playoff game.  Of course they lost that Sunday, but I wouldn't give up that fabulous week of bliss  for the world.   Mr. T and I finally got to St. Louis to check out  Side Project Brewery .    This place was one of the best breweries we've ever visited.  The list was loaded with some of their rarest bottles and the staff were incredibly knowledgeable.  The space was so clean and comfortable I wanted to spend the entire weekend relaxing in the tap room.  We also made a few beer trips to  Vermont , a new beer-cation to  Miami for Wakefest   and of course, our amazing European trip to Paris, Bordeaux and Brussels, where we finally made it...

NYC has seen a serious influx of new Chinese spots in recent years. Restaurants once confined to Chinatown have been popping up in all new neighborhoods like Jing Fong in the Upper West Side, Tim Ho Wan in Union Square and my new favorite, Pinch Chinese in SOHO.  This sleek spot on Prince Street is run by a former chef from  Din Tai Fung , a Taiwan based restaurant that earned Michelin stars across the globe for its addictive Xiao Long Bao. These soup dumplings are much smaller than most, almost bite sized with a thin exterior of dough that somehow manages to stay perfectly intact.  Inside a mix of pork and seafood soup that's rich and satisfying without that fatty shine of most soup dumplings. These were absolute perfection; I've never enjoyed xio long bao as much as these little pouches of goodness. In addition to traditional dishes like cold Sichuan Chicken and Pan Fried Beef Dumplings Pinch also has more whimsical menu items like...